OBJECTIVES: The predictive value of perceptions of smoking-related risks and benefits with regard to adolescent smoking initiation has not been adequately established. We used prospective, longitudinal data to directly test whether smoking-related perceptions predict smoking initiation among adolescents. METHODS: We administered surveys assessing perceptions of smoking-related risks and benefits to 395 high school students, beginning at the start of their ninth-grade year. We conducted follow-up assessments every 6 months until the end of 10th grade, obtaining 4 waves of data. RESULTS: Adolescents who held the lowest perceptions of long-term smoking-related risks were 3.64 times more likely to start smoking than were adolescents who held the highest perceptions of risk. Adolescents who held the lowest perceptions of short-term smoking-related risks were 2.68 times more likely to initiate. Adolescents who held the highest perceptions of smoking-related benefits were 3.31 times more likely to initiate. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study provide one of the first sets of empirical evidence to show that smoking initiation is directly related to smoking-related perceptions of risks and benefits. Thus, efforts to reduce adolescent smoking should continue to communicate the health risks of smoking and counteract perceptions of benefits associated with smoking.
OBJECTIVES: The predictive value of perceptions of smoking-related risks and benefits with regard to adolescent smoking initiation has not been adequately established. We used prospective, longitudinal data to directly test whether smoking-related perceptions predict smoking initiation among adolescents. METHODS: We administered surveys assessing perceptions of smoking-related risks and benefits to 395 high school students, beginning at the start of their ninth-grade year. We conducted follow-up assessments every 6 months until the end of 10th grade, obtaining 4 waves of data. RESULTS: Adolescents who held the lowest perceptions of long-term smoking-related risks were 3.64 times more likely to start smoking than were adolescents who held the highest perceptions of risk. Adolescents who held the lowest perceptions of short-term smoking-related risks were 2.68 times more likely to initiate. Adolescents who held the highest perceptions of smoking-related benefits were 3.31 times more likely to initiate. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study provide one of the first sets of empirical evidence to show that smoking initiation is directly related to smoking-related perceptions of risks and benefits. Thus, efforts to reduce adolescent smoking should continue to communicate the health risks of smoking and counteract perceptions of benefits associated with smoking.
Authors: Maria A Parker; Andrea C Villanti; Amanda J Quisenberry; Cassandra A Stanton; Nathan J Doogan; Ryan Redner; Diann E Gaalema; Allison N Kurti; Tyler Nighbor; Megan E Roberts; Antonio Cepeda-Benito; Stephen T Higgins Journal: Pediatrics Date: 2018-11-05 Impact factor: 7.124
Authors: Jaime E Sidani; Ariel Shensa; Maharsi R Naidu; Jonathan G Yabes; Brian A Primack Journal: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev Date: 2017-01-12 Impact factor: 4.254
Authors: David R Strong; Karen Messer; Martha White; Yuyan Shi; Madison Noble; David B Portnoy; Alexander Persoskie; Annette R Kaufman; Kelvin Choi; Charles Carusi; Maansi Bansal-Travers; Andrew Hyland; John Pierce Journal: Addict Behav Date: 2019-01-03 Impact factor: 3.913
Authors: Maria Cooper; Alexandra Loukas; Kathleen R Case; C Nathan Marti; Cheryl L Perry Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2018-01-31 Impact factor: 4.492